Standard 3.

1 Classroom Management & Collaborative Learning Reflection

Standard 3.1 focuses on classroom management and collaborative learning strategies. The
artifact chosen for this standard, STEM Solar House Model, was produced in ITEC 7430, . The
project requires students to collaborate with classmates to create and build a solar house model. I
was responsible for the creation and implementation of the project in its entirety.
This artifact shows that I am able to model and facilitate effective classroom management
strategies in a blended learning environment. The students had a mix of both individual and
collective contributions to the end product. They worked on computers, in the lab and in the
classroom with construction materials. In all of these parts of the project, I modeled appropriate
use of materials and instructed students on the completion tasks. Then, I facilitated the
completion of the solar house models showing I am also proficient in modeling and facilitating
collaborative learning strategies. The students all designed their individual solar house plans
using floorplanner.com but then they had to select one of the plans to build. Once the selection
was made, they worked together to construct a model of the floorplan and test it for the
collection of solar energy. In some cases, they had to compromise on aspects of the plan to make
sure all of the thoughts and ideas of the group members were reflected in the final product. In a
few cases, I had to intervene and help them with conflict resolution and aid them in
collaboration strategies, such as delegating tasks and voting on decisions.
From this experience, I learned that students need a lot of direction and specific instruction to
work in groups effectively and collaboratively. The engagement in the project was high which
made it enjoyable for myself and the students. When I do the project again, I will seek a public
place to display the models at the denouement of the project. Students did such a good job and i
am excited to be able to show their work in a public arena.
This lesson impacted both faculty development and student learning. The lesson was part of our
STEM initiative faculty-wide at the school and very beneficial to our school in that regard. It
also impacted student learning by providing a means through which students could connect their
learning in their career classes, such as construction and drafting, with Environmental Science.
That particular impact on student learning was easy to assess through observation, and was
further substantiated by reports from their other teachers. In the future, we may try to do even
more collaboration to help bring the project even higher on the engagement.